Context Statement: Instruction and Rubric

Purpose: One of the major objectives of this course is for students to improve their ability to critically explore and discuss information relevant to school performance, specifically in math and ELA state tests over a minimum period of three years and how these scores compare with the state average scores as well as scores other districts. This effort involves the ability to examine relevant social, political, and institutional factors as well as demonstrate an understanding of how these factors are related, and how they interact to influence the nature of education and efforts to improve instruction and school performance in math and ELA. To this end, you will create a detailed description/interpretation of a community and its educational system (Rhode Island school district/schools only).
Product: A commentary in which you describe the community, district, and school respectively (see rubric for specifics) which includes an introduction and a conclusion analyzing data and addressing the importance of your findings.

• Offers well organized, complete, data clearly comparing each figure with another relevant figure with:
  • depth of analysis (resources, earlier scores, state averages, other districts disaggregations, etc.)
  • synthesis of what is learned in this report and the course content
  • admirable reflection and strong writer’s voice including SALT Visit Report and whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards (School Report Card).
• In the course of writing your description of your school and district, you are required to use MLA format to cite your sources. An excellent online resource for building your bibliography can be found here: http://www.bibme.org/ and http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/

Informational websites: (see Library Resources on class uriteacherknowledge wikispace)
http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu
http://www.rikidscount.org (data on the status of RI children)
http://www.census.gov (U.S. census data)
http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt
Additional websites:
Most districts, as well as specific schools, manage their own websites. Most districts, as well as specific schools, manage their own websites. Use your web browser to search for these specific sites. Look for the Strategic Plan (district) and the School Improvement Plan (school)! Each can offer a wealth of information and often include links to the specific data you will utilize in this report--they are often published on the district or school website. They can offer a wealth of information and often include links to the specific data you will utilize in this report.

*Due date: See syllabus for due dates for each section. Hard copy of the complete report is to be submitted during class on date of the first revision/edit (see syllabus). There will be a deduction of 10% for each school day following that date. No email submissions. Papers will not be accepted more that three days after the due date and an F will be recorded.

Evaluation / Rubric for EDC 102 Context Statement below:

Total Score for this Evaluation: /40 pts

Introduction = _/ 5 pts.

5 – Intro interestingly provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what community/district/school is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed.

4 - Intro names the community/district/school and previews the scope of the report.

3 - Intro names the community/district/school but not much else.

2 - Intro fails to name the community/district/school.

0 - No introduction section is apparent.

Comments:

Organization = _/ 5 pts.

5 - Report includes an Introduction, a Conclusion, and sections for Community, District, and School in that order. Within each section, paragraphs logically group the information presented.

4 - Report includes all of the sections mentioned previously, but may not break down information into logical paragraphs within each section.

3 – Report may be missing one section and/or information presented may be too wordy, too brief, logically inconsistent, or unclear

2 - Report is missing more than one section.

0 - Report does not include any sections.

Comments:

Mechanics = _/ 5 pts. (Note: Check format at http://www.bibme.org)

5 - All information in the report is cited using MLA styled- citations in the body, after the information, and in a reference section at the end of the report. and There are extremely few typos and misspelled words in the report.

4 - Most information is cited using MLA style. and/or There are a noticeable number of typos, misspellings, language conventions and/or usage errors.

3 - Some citations in the body or reference section are not in MLA style, e.g. URLs are listed without the title of the website. and/or There are many typos, misspellings, or other language conventions/usage errors.

2 - Most of the report's information is not cited, or MLA style was not used. and/or Language conventions/usage errors inhibit reader’s ability to comprehend parts of the report.

0 - Report does not include a Reference section. and/or Report is incoherent.

Comments:

Conclusion = _/ 5 pts.

5 - Conclusion reviews analyses of community, district, and school and describes why findings should be important to reader.

4 - Conclusion reviews analyses of community, district, and school.

3 - Conclusion minimally refers back to report findings.

2 - Conclusion is baseless.

0 - No conclusion section is apparent.

Comments:

Creativity = _/ 5 pts.

5 - Report is written in an engaging style.

4 - Report has some interesting sections.

3 - Report generally reports information seemingly without purpose.

Comments:

Content/Thoroughness = ___/15 pts

5 - Report offers well organized, complete, data clearly comparing each figure with another relevant figure with depth of analysis (resources, earlier scores, state averages, other districts disaggregations, etc.), synthesizing what is learned in this report and course content, and offering admirable reflection and strong writer’s voice including SALT Visit Report and whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards (School Report Card).
4 - Report offers organized, complete data comparing each figure with another relevant figure with depth of analysis (resources, earlier scores, state averages, other districts disaggregations, etc.), synthesizing what is learned in this report and course content, and offering reflection and writer’s voice including SALT Visit Report and whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards (School Report Card).
3 - Report offers some data comparing each figure with another relevant figure with some analysis (resources, earlier scores, state averages, other districts disaggregations, etc.). Synthesis within report and with course content limited, reflection and writer’s voice weak with limited reference to SALT Visit Report and whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards (School Report Card).
2 - Report offers limited or confusing data comparing each figure with another relevant figure with minor analysis (resources, earlier scores, state averages, other districts disaggregations, etc.). Synthesis with course content minimal, reflection and writer’s voice weak and does not adequately reference SALT Visit Report and whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards (School Report Card).
0 - Report offers seriously limited or confusing data failing to sensibly compare each figure with another relevant figure, and offering little or no analysis (resources, earlier scores, state averages, other districts disaggregations, etc.), lacks synthesis with course content, and reflection and writer’s voice weak and fails to reference SALT Visit Report and whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards (School Report Card).

Comments:

Context Statement Projects: Please keep in mind all sample papers were not assessed at the same level.